Hurt
by RowArk
Summary: Based on a prompt where the hero shows up on the villain's doorstep, having been drugged and assaulted, and collapses into the villain's arms. Set in season 2, just after The Cricket Game. Assumes everything to that point happened, and canon divergent after that. Swan Queen
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

* * *

It was shortly after midnight when Regina finally returned to her mansion. Momentarily, she had considered that returning may be a mistake, since she knew Emma and the Charmings would be searching for her now that they truly believed she'd killed Archie, but she couldn't bear hiding out at her vault any longer. Being there reminded her too much of how alone she truly was in this world, and she just needed to get home, to where Henry was.

Well, not where he physically was, but where the memory of him currently resided.

She'd gone straight up to his bedroom when she got home, sat on his bed, hugged his pillow, and cried. Her tears were exacerbated by Emma's words reverberating in her skull.

_He's not, he's mine!_

Did Emma truly believe this, that Henry was her son and not Regina's? Worse yet - did Henry believe it? Did he really, truly believe that this woman who had been in his life for all of five minutes was his mother, instead of the one who'd raised him from birth?

Regina choked back her tears as an even more terrifying thought intruded her mind: was _she_ starting to believe it?

She supposed it didn't really matter what anyone believed, because after what had happened, she was never going to be Henry's mother again. She couldn't hide forever, and even if she could, hiding would still mean separation. There was no way she was going to be able to convince everyone that she didn't kill Archie, and Henry would never trust her again.

He'd never love her again.

Regina was shaken from her thoughts by a loud banging at the front door. She swallowed back her tears and held her breath, willing whomever it was to just go away. The mob could come for her tomorrow; she just needed a moment to grieve.

But they didn't leave. The banging persisted, and Regina got up to look out the window. She couldn't see the doorstep from this vantage point, but she could see that no crowd had formed on the lawn, and no vehicles were parked out front. She bit her lip as a sudden thought occurred to her.

_What if it's Henry?_

She tried to convince herself to be rational. There was no way it was Henry, and yet-

Three more loud bangs and Regina was out Henry's door, practically running to the stairs. What if it was him? What if he'd woken up in the night and suddenly needed his mother - his _real_ mother? Regina pushed down the tiny voice in the back of her mind telling her that even if it were Henry, it was more than likely a trap. She didn't care. She just had to see -

"Emma," Regina breathed as she pulled the door open.

The fear that Emma was here to arrest her or worse was only fleeting, replaced by confusion as Regina took in the sight of her. Emma was half slumped over, one hand holding her up against the door frame, seemingly the only thing keeping her from falling over. Her face was partially hidden by her hair hanging in front of it, but Regina could see enough to see there was a large gash on her jaw, and her hair was streaked in drying blood.

Shakily, Emma lifted her head enough for Regina to see her face. Her pupils were blown and she seemed to be having difficulty focusing.

"Emma?" Regina asked, unsure of what to say or do at this point.

"I didn't know where else to go."

That was all she said before collapsing forward into Regina's arms. Instinctively, Regina caught her, thankful that Emma had merely lost her footing and not passed out entirely, as she helped her steady herself on her feet again.

"I had to tell you…" Emma managed, her voice shaky and her words slurred. "Archie…"

"What about Archie?" Regina asked, stiffening but not releasing her grasp on Emma, as she still seemed unsteady, leaning a fair portion of her body weight into Regina.

"I saw… Archie."

Regina shook her head in confusion. "What do you mean? His body?"

"No! His… his… Archie. R'gina… I know… he's…"

"Emma, you're not making any sense. Come on. Come inside." Regina helped Emma through the door, shutting it behind them. "Tell me what happened."

"The boat… and Archie… I should… I should have believed you. He's… the boat."

"What boat? Emma, what are you talking about?" Regina asked, her voice rising slightly in the frustration of it all. For a moment, Regina had almost thought Emma was about to tell her that Archie was alive by some strange miracle, and her name would have been cleared. But now, it seemed more like Emma was intoxicated on some sort of substance, had fallen on her face and was here spouting nonsense.

Emma drew in a couple of breaths and closed her eyes, placing one hand firmly on Regina shoulder to steady herself. "Regina," she started, her eyes still closed. She seemed to be desperately forcing herself to focus. "Archie. Is. Alive."

Regina let out a small gasp. "Where is he, Emma?"

"I need to sit down."

"No, you need to tell me where he is so I can clear my name," Regina said firmly.

"I… I need to sit down."

Emma was swaying now, despite Regina's arm around her back and Emma's hand on Regina's shoulder, and Regina guessed she probably really did need to sit down before she fell over. Deciding laying down would actually be better, Regina waved a hand to poof them to the guest bedroom.

When they materialized upstairs, Emma was laying on her back atop the duvet, and Regina was sitting on the edge of the bed, leaning over her. In this light, she could see that the injuries on Emma's face were much more extensive than she'd thought. There was no way this was the result of a drunken fall; someone had assaulted her.

"Emma, what happened to you?" Regina asked softly, pushing Emma's hair back from her face to get a better look. She was trying to be gentle, but Emma still flinched. "I can heal you."

Emma shook her head. "No. No more magic," she said, closing her eyes.

"Emma?"

"I'm tired," Emma said, her slurring becoming more apparent than before.

"Emma. Do not fall asleep. You need to tell me what happened," Regina said, poofing a cool washcloth into her hand so she could begin cleaning the wounds on Emma's face.

"Ouch," Emma muttered quietly.

"It would hurt a lot less if you would let me heal you. Open your eyes."

Emma's eyelids fluttered slightly. It seemed to take a great deal of effort to open them.

"You've been drugged," Regina assessed, from the look of Emma's glazed over eyes and dilated pupils, combined with the drool that was beginning to pool at the corner of her mouth.

"I think so," Emma whispered, her eyes closing again. "I don't… member…"

Regina swallowed, knowing Emma was losing consciousness. She dabbed at the cut on her forehead again, and this time, Emma didn't react. "Emma?" Regina tried, but she didn't respond.

Regina debated her options as she worked on cleaning the wounds on Emma's face in earnest. Since she was now unconscious, Regina didn't have to worry quite so much about being gentle, and could clean them properly.

For a moment, she wondered if she should call the Charmings, but decided against it almost immediately. Emma may have now known Regina was telling the truth, but chances were she hadn't filled her parents in yet, and trying to explain why Emma was badly injured and unconscious in her home would be difficult, all things considered. On top of that, Emma couldn't tell them what she'd seen and they certainly wouldn't believe Regina if she claimed Archie was alive, when she had no way to prove it.

Regina frowned as she started on the cut on Emma's cheek, just below her eye. This one was deep enough to cause Regina some concern. It likely needed stitches, and despite Emma's request for no magic, Regina knew she couldn't just leave it as it was, and she certainly couldn't take Emma to the hospital. She hesitated for just a second, before healing that one cut with her magic, and moving on to the cut on Emma's jaw.

By the time she was finished with Emma's face, her cloth was already stained pink with blood, and Regina waved her hand to materialize a fresh one to continue on. As far as she could tell, Emma's leather jacket had protected her arms, but there was another gash near her collarbone and blood on the front of her white tank top. Lifting the hem enough to check, Regina was relieved to see that there were no cuts on Emma's abdomen - the blood must have come from her face - but there was a large, dark purple bruise forming, as though someone had kicked her hard in the ribs.

Regina's frown deepened as she waved a hand over the area to heal it, knowing that it would be extremely painful for Emma when she woke up if she left it as it was. She guessed Emma hadn't had the presence of mind to check her own injuries, so maybe she wouldn't realize that Regina used any magic on her at all.

Finally, Regina held her hand over Emma's forehead, using her magic to diminish whatever substance she'd been given, and help clear the fog away. She needed Emma to be present enough to tell her what she'd seen.

"Emma," Regina said, leaning in close as she shook her shoulders gently. "Emma, wake up."

Emma stirred slightly, and let out a small groan, but didn't open her eyes.

"Emma, please, this is important."

"I'm tired," Emma whispered back, but this time, her words weren't slurred, to Regina's relief.

"I just need you to talk to me for a minute, and then you can go to sleep. I promise."

Emma let out a long sigh and opened her eyes, blinking against the harsh light in the room. "Regina?" she asked, narrowing her eyes in confusion. "What… am I in your house?"

"Emma, I need you to focus right now," Regina insisted, trying to keep her voice even and calm. "Tell me where Archie is."

"What?" Emma shook her head in confusion. "You know where he is. You killed him."

Emma tried to sit up, but Regina stopped her with hands on her shoulders. Regina knew that any other time, Emma could have overpowered her easily, but right now, she was still too weak. "No. You saw him. On a boat? Where is he."

"What are you talking about?"

"You came here and told me that Archie is alive, Emma. I need you to tell me where he is."

Emma shook her head quickly. "No. No, no… I don't remember coming here. I don't… I don't know how I got here. Regina… what did you do to me?"

"I didn't do anything to you, other than take care of your injuries. You showed up on my doorstep covered in blood and barely coherent. What do you remember?"

This time, Emma's confusion turned to a look of fear. "Nothing."


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Warning for Hook in this chapter, as well as some depictions of violence.**_

**Chapter Two**

* * *

Emma felt panic start to set in almost immediately. Just a few short days ago, she'd thought that Regina was cold and unfriendly, but she'd never been able to bring herself to believe what everyone was saying about her. She just couldn't believe that the woman was evil.

And then she'd seen her kill Archie.

Now she didn't know what to believe. Her internal lie detector was on the fritz and she was torn between wanting to believe that Regina really was trying to change, for Henry, and knowing that all the evidence pointed in the other direction. She'd gone to great lengths to try to prove Regina's innocence, but now, lying in a bed in Regina's home with no idea how she got there, and Regina hovering over her, Emma could only fear the worst.

"What is the last thing you remember?"

Regina was asking her a question, but Emma was barely paying attention as her fight or flight instincts were kicking in, and she knew she needed to get out of here. She tried to sit up again, pushing against Regina's hands on her shoulders, but she was shaky and weak, like she'd been hit with a terrible flu.

"Emma, please don't try to get up," Regina insisted.

"What did you do to me?" Emma asked again, her hand moving to her forehead, where she felt a sudden sting. She managed to touch the wound before Regina could stop her, and her fingers came back wet with blood. "I'm bleeding."

"I'm aware," Regina said, starting to sound annoyed. "I offered to heal you but you refused."

"I don't want your dark magic on me," Emma said, disgusted by the idea.

Regina pursed her lips. "It's not all dark, you know."

"Tell me what I'm doing here," Emma said, locking her eyes on Regina with intensity. "And why I feel like I've been hit by a truck."

Regina raised an eyebrow. "That's the very thing I'd like you to tell me, Emma. As I said, you came here, hurt and incoherent, talking about how you saw Archie on a boat. I'm starting to think it was all a drugged induced hallucination."

"I don't do drugs, Regina. And if you think you can make anyone believe that I do, to get Henry back, it won't work. No one will buy it."

"You think I don't know that I have no credibility in this town? And that I haven't, for a very long time? The vast majority of this town wants me dead, Emma. There's no a whole lot I could say about you to make them see you as anything other than the perfect savior, so why would I even try?"

Emma shook her head. Regina didn't seem to be lying, but at the same time, she was a desperate woman, and as such, she couldn't put it past her to act out of that desperation, even if the plan made no sense.

"Well," Emma started, slowly. "If neither of us knows what happened to me, what do we do now?"

"Whatever you were drugged with is clearly affecting your memory, but luckily, there's a way to get that memory back."

Before Emma could process what Regina was saying, she watched a dream catcher materialize in her hands. Emma shook her head, quickly. "No. You're not using your magic on me. How do I know you won't curse it or something, to make me see whatever you want me to see?"

Regina held out the dream catcher to Emma, appearing unfazed. "I won't use my magic. You know how this works. Do it yourself."

"And what if I refuse?"

"Well… I can still use it myself to extract the memory I need from you, and if I can find Archie alive, it really doesn't matter what I'd curse you to believe, would it? But, if you'd like to know how you ended up here, well… the choice is yours."

Emma stared at the dream catcher, as she propped herself up on one elbow. She felt less vulnerable that way, than she did just lying there. "Okay," she said finally.

"Okay." Regina nodded, and Emma noted the expectation in her eyes as she fixed them on the dream catcher. Whatever Emma had experienced, Regina really was eager to know.

Emma focused her own energy on the dream catcher, trying to will her magic forward as she had before, but it was a struggle. She breathed deep, clearing her thoughts and letting her emotion take over, but nothing was happening. She didn't feel her magic at all.

"It's not working," she muttered, closing her eyes to try to focus her energy more.

"Keep trying," Regina said. "It's inside you Emma. Channel it."

"I am trying!" Emma shot back. "It's not working."

Emma jumped a little when she felt Regina's hand on her own, but the little jolt of energy was all that Emma needed to kickstart her magic, and soon enough she felt it surging through her. She opened her eyes and stared at the dream catcher, as the image began to clear.

_Emma was on the docks, pacing. None of this made any sense. She'd been so sure that Regina was telling the truth, and somehow she'd been wrong. Everyone else had believed it so quickly, and yet, Emma couldn't help but hold onto hope. Even now, when she knew the truth beyond a shadow of a doubt, she had hope._

_Emma was startled from her thoughts by a creaking sound beside her. She turned, half expecting to see a boat pulling up to the dock, but all she saw was water._

"_What the fuck…" Emma muttered as she heard another loud creak beside her, and turned her attention upwards. She shook her head in disbelief at what she saw above: seagulls, perched in thin air._

_Emma didn't know much about magic, but she knew enough about the laws of physics to know that was impossible. She thought back to her teenage years, reading about Harry Potter's invisibility cloak, and she got an idea. She knelt down and picked up a stone, and tossed it into the water. Only, it didn't reach the water. Instead, it bounced off of some sort of invisible force field and landed back on the dock._

"_There's something there," Emma whispered to herself. She stepped up to the edge of the dock and reached her hand out. Sure enough, she met resistance. She ran her hand along the surface. It felt like wood and it moved slightly, like a large boat in the water._

_She looked around the dock, and quickly discovered a bag of sand. She grabbed a handful and tossed it toward the invisible boat, and it landed, just making out the surface of steps leading into nothing._

_Against her better judgment, Emma decided to see where they would lead. _

_She was only three steps up before the boat materialized before her eyes. Well, boat wasn't even the right word; it was a full on pirate ship._

"_What. The. Fuck?" Emma managed to squeak out, debating whether she should explore this ship or turn and run. As far as she could tell, it appeared empty, and she let her curiosity get the better of her, though she wished she had her gun on her now._

_The top deck was deserted, so Emma made her way to the stairs that lead below. She found sleeping quarters that likewise were empty, so she began to look around. She didn't get very far, however, when she heard a muffled sneeze from somewhere below her, and froze on the spot._

_Emma trained her ears, trying to hear any sound that would betray the whereabouts of the other person on the ship. Moments later, another sneeze, followed by whine of someone who sounded like they were in a lot of pain._

"_Hello?" Emma called out. "Is someone there? Are you hurt?"_

_Immediately, she heard muffled cries for help that seemed to be coming from below the floor. She spotted an area that looked like a trap door of some sort, and hurried to it, pulling up the false floor to reveal a cubby below. And in that cubby-_

"_Archie!" Emma cried, her eyes widening as she took in the sight of the man below, his face bruised and swollen, his hands bound and a gag in his mouth. "Archie, you're alive! I'm gonna get you out of here." _

"_Not so fast, love."_

_The voice behind her sent a shiver down her spine. It was a familiar one - one she'd hoped she'd never hear again._

"_Hook," Emma said, before she even turned to look. You did this."_

_Hook didn't respond, and instead grabbed Emma by the hair, yanking her back to her feet as she cried out. He threw her against the nearby wall, and it took her a moment to regain her footing and turn to face him._

"_How the fuck did you get here?" Emma demanded, hoping her voice didn't betray her nerves. "And what are you doing with Archie?"_

"_You're not really in a position to be demanding answers, love," Hook said, reaching out, as though he was going to touch Emma's face. "Now be a good girl and run along home. No more playing hero, understand? Or you're going to get yourself hurt."_

_If there was one thing that Emma hated, it was being condescended to by a man. She twisted up her face and lifted her leg to kick him hard in the thigh. She'd missed her mark due to his close proximity, but it was enough to send him reeling for a moment._

_Not long enough, she found, as he grabbed her again and knocked her to the ground, her face hitting hard against the rough wood planks below her. It knocked the wind out of her, but she still scrambled to try to crawl away from him. She reached the doorframe and attempted to pull herself up, only to be met by Hook's boot, hard into her ribcage. She gasped, and even the small, quick intake of air hurt, and she knew her some ribs must have just broken._

"_Now, you listen to me, princess," Hook drawled, as he crouched down in front of her, and produced a small vial of liquid from his coat. "I was saving this for the cricket, but now I'm going to give you a choice. You drink it, and get the fuck out of here, or I can just kill you now."_

"_I'm not drinking that," Emma snapped, spitting in Hook's face for emphasis._

_Hook wiped the saliva away, and pushed the smooth side of his hook against Emma's forehead, forcing her head back. "You're lucky I like looking at you," he snarled as he emptied the contents of the vial into her mouth. He dropped the vial and clamped his hand over her mouth until she swallowed._

"_What was that?" Emma asked, wearily, once he'd released his grip._

"_Just a little something to help you forget what you saw," Hook said, standing and turning, and heading back over to the cubby to close Archie in again._

_Emma wanted nothing more than to stay and help Archie, but she was physically in no condition, and she knew she needed to get to Regina immediately and tell her, before she lost her memory._

Emma raised her eyes to look at Regina's face as the dream catcher showed her staggering her way to Regina's house. Regina's mouth was open slightly, as she watched, and Emma knew she hadn't realized her eyes were on her yet.

"You really didn't do it," Emma whispered, snapping Regina's attention to her.

Regina shook her head, slowly. "I really didn't."

Emma swallowed. "But I saw you. In the dream catcher. How?"

"Well… if Hook found his way here, someone else may have as well."

Emma closed her eyes at the realization. "Your mother."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

* * *

Regina worried her lip at the thought of her mother being in Storybrooke. Moments ago, when she'd seen Archie in Emma's memories, her immediate thoughts had gone to going and getting him, proving her innocence and winning her son back. Now, it wasn't so simple.

She moved to take the dreamcatcher back from Emma, but noticed that she was still staring intently at the images before her. Emma had reached the point in her memory where Regina had caught her after she stumbled on the porch, and was holding on to her tightly. Clearing her throat gently, Regina drew Emma's attention away from the scene playing out in front of her.

"Oh, sorry… I don't remember any of this either," Emma said, looking sheepish, as though she'd been caught spying on an intimate moment between strangers.

Regina swallowed. "Well, you weren't conscious for much longer," she said, taking the dreamcatcher and watching the image fade away. She didn't really have a keen interest in delving into what had just happened, when she wasn't even sure what it all meant yet. "I poofed you into bed and cleaned you up after you passed out."

"Thanks," Emma said, but her voice was quieter now, as though she were trying to process something in her head. She paused, and then spoke again. "We should, um, go get Archie."

Regina shook her head. "No. If my mother is here, it isn't safe."

"Regina! If your mother is here, it's really not safe for Archie. And… don't you want people to know you're innocent?"

"Yes, of course I do. But Emma, you're not in any condition to go back there. I'll go."

Emma shifted, placing a hand over her ribs, and shook her head. "I feel fine. My face is a little sore, but I think I stood up to that kick in the ribs pretty well. Doesn't even hurt."

Regina pursed her lips, debating with herself for a moment, and then sighed. "Actually, you didn't," Regina started, deciding telling the truth was probably her best bet, since she seemed to be breaking a little ground with Emma tonight. "I healed you. With magic."

"You used magic on me?" Emma said, barely masking the look of disgust on her face.

"Don't be so offended. I did it for your own good, and I had no other choice. I know you think I'm only capable of evil, but I saw how badly injured you were and I couldn't exactly take you to a hospital, could I?"

Emma sighed. "No, I guess not. They would assume you did it."

"As you did."

Emma nodded. "Yeah. Sorry. And… I really don't think you're only capable of evil. But…"

"But you don't trust my magic."

"Sorry," Emma muttered.

"It's alright. I suppose you have good reason not to."

"But you healed me," Emma said quickly. "So we can go back to the boat, and get Archie. You don't have to go alone."

Regina shook her head. "No. I didn't fully heal you; I just healed what I had to. You're still injured. I'll go get Archie."

"But, your mother…"

"I'm stronger than I was the last time I saw her. I can handle her."

"And what if she's stronger, too? And Hook is there… you can't go in there alone. You could heal me, and we can both go."

"You want me to heal you?" Regina asked, betrayed by the hopeful sound of her own voice.

Emma paused again, and then nodded decisively. "Yeah. I do. I trust you."

Regina raised an eyebrow, doubting that Emma really trusted her, but she decided not to press the issue. Before Emma could have second thoughts, Regina lifted her hands and let her magic flow into Emma. She pulled back when she saw the last of the cuts disappear from her face.

"That was it?" Emma asked, sounding surprised.

"Were you expecting fireworks?"

Emma shrugged, pulling herself up to a sitting position. "I dunno. But I think it worked."

"Of course it worked," Regina said with a scoff, standing from the bed to allow Emma room to get up. "But are you really sure you want to go with me? I know you've discovered a little bit of your magic, but my mother is purely evil and much, much stronger than you are."

"I'm sure," Emma said, with a decisive nod. "Henry thinks I'm a hero, and so far, I've been anything but. I've gotta prove myself."

Regina felt a pang of jealousy, but schooled her features so it didn't show. "Perhaps one day he'll think the same of me."

"Well, I guess this is your chance. If you bring back his friend alive, he won't be able to see you any other way."

Regina nodded, wanting badly to point out that he would have never seen her as a murderer if Emma hadn't put the idea in his head, but she decided now was not the time. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew Emma was doing what she'd thought was right, with the information she'd had at the time. "I guess we'll see. The rest of the town might not be so easy to convince."

"I don't know about that," Emma said, with a shrug. "I mean, earlier tonight, you could have just left me to die on your doorstep, but you didn't. You really have changed."

Regina sighed as she lead the way back out of the room. "That's easy for you to say. You've never seen me at my worst. I'm sure you couldn't even fathom what I put these people through. They're right to hate me but… really, I don't care for my own sake. I care for Henry's sake."

"You don't want the kid to suffer because of how the town sees you."

Regina nodded, before turning to head down the stairs.

"He's the only thing that matters."

Emma breathed a heavy sigh behind her, causing Regina to stop and turn around. "Are you alright?" she asked, wondering if perhaps her healing magic wasn't as strong as it had once been. Everything was different here and she hadn't used it since magic had come to Storybrooke.

"Yeah, I just…" Emma started.

"You just?" Regina prompted, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry for what I said before. You know, about…," Emma sighed again. "I mean, when I said Henry was my son and not yours. I didn't mean that."

Regina stiffened. She hadn't really expected an apology, and Emma's words from earlier still stung, even now. "Then why did you say it?"

"I… I wanted to believe in you so badly, that you were innocent. For Henry's sake," she added quickly. "I wanted everyone else to be wrong and when I saw that I saw in that dreamcatcher, I don't know, I felt… betrayed."

Regina stared at her for a moment, letting her words resonate. "For Henry's sake," she repeated, though she wondered if there was something more to Emma's strong reaction than she was letting on. "Then we should go get the cricket. For Henry's sake."

Emma scrunched up her nose in a way that Regina had once thought was childish but now… well, now it seemed almost endearing. "Do you have to call him that?"

"I suppose not," Regina said, turning to head toward the door, Emma following quickly behind. "You're still not adjusted to everyone's former identities returning, I take it?"

"No," Emma admitted. "It's the kind of thing that takes time to process."

"I bet," Regina said, leading the way out to her Mercedes. Her apprehension started to rise as they actually got into the vehicle, and she began to really process the fact that she could very well come face to face with her mother again, very soon. Suddenly, she was grateful for Emma's presence, even if she wasn't sure that Emma's magic would be strong enough to help if things got bad. "Are you ready?"

Emma nodded, looking determined. "I've faced a dragon, and ogres and… well, your mother, in the last couple of weeks. I'm ready."

Regina smiled tightly as she pulled out of the driveway and headed toward the docks. Emma may have been ready, but she knew she sure the hell wasn't. But she knew this is what it would take to win Henry back and set everything right again. Well, as right as it could be, she supposed.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

* * *

"Shit," Emma muttered as she pulled her phone out of the pocket of her jacket. She'd nearly forgotten it was there, until she felt it vibrate.

"What?" Regina asked, glancing at Emma. They were in the Mercedes now, on their way down to the docks, and though she knew Regina was trying to put on a brave front despite the knowledge she was about to face her mother, the mayor's voice betrayed her nerves.

Emma shook her head. "Just my parents," she said, though calling them that still felt a little unnatural to her. "They must have just noticed I never came home. I figured they'd be asleep by now."

"What are you going to tell them?" Regina asked, though Emma was already typing out a response.

"I just said I was held up at the station. If they know the truth they're gonna want to get involved, and I need them to just stay there with Henry."

Regina nodded. "If they know you're with me, they'll send the cavalry."

Emma breathed out a mirthless laugh as she tucked her phone back into her pocket. "Considering where we're headed, back up wouldn't be a terrible thing."

"No," Regina said, shaking her head. "Without magic, none of them stand a chance against my mother."

Emma sighed as she saw the docks appear in the distance, trying to quell her own nerves. She knew Regina was right. After meeting Cora in the Enchanted Forest, she wasn't too eager to go another round with her tonight, but Archie's life could very well be on the line.

That, and she really wanted Regina to have a chance to prove herself.

"We're here," Regina said, as though it wasn't obvious, as she pulled into the harbour.

"Yeah," Emma agreed. She might not be able to remember herself, but seeing the docks had the scenes she'd just witnessed in the dreamcatcher replaying in her head all of the sudden, and she realized she was just as wary about another run in with Hook as she was about Cora.

"You okay?" Regina asked, drawing Emma from her thoughts.

"Yeah."

Regina observed her for a moment, and Emma knew she knew something was off. "You know," Regina said, before Emma had a chance to insist she was fine, "if Hook's there, you don't need to worry. I can roast him in a second."

Emma couldn't help but smile at the thought. "Thanks."

Knowing that Regina had her back really did help put Emma's mind at ease a little, even if she knew deep down that Hook wasn't the real threat right now, to either of them. As she got out of the car and started to make her way toward where she knew the invisible pirate ship would be, Regina stayed close behind her.

"Here," Emma said, stopping as she noticed the sand she'd thrown earlier still marking the steps up to the boat.

"It's odd that they didn't try to hide that," Regina noted.

Emma shrugged. "Maybe Hook never noticed?"

"I don't know. Something feels wrong."

"Wrong?"

Regina shook her head. "I don't know… why didn't they move the ship? It just feels like they're making it too easy for us."

"Well, Hook thought I wasn't going to remember, right?"

"I suppose," Regina agreed, but she didn't sound confident.

Emma bit her lip, wondering if Regina had a point. "So, what do you want to do?" she asked, apprehensive of the idea that they might be walking into a trap."

Regina breathed in deeply and looked up at the empty air where they both knew the ship was. "We have to save Archie," she said, decisively.

That was all the confirmation Emma needed. "We'll just stay on alert," she said as she stepped up on the first step up to the boat. Though she'd just witnessed herself doing this in her memories, she wasn't prepared for just how odd it would feel to step down onto thin air and meet resistance. But she forced herself to push that uneasiness to the back of her mind and she made her way up the next few steps, and watched the ship materialize before her eyes.

With trepidation, she made her way to the top of the stairs, and her eyes darted around quickly, looking for any sign of people there.

"It's clear," Emma said, just loud enough for Regina to hear. The top deck may have been clear, but she didn't want to alert anyone who may be hiding out below to their presence.

Regina nodded. "I don't feel my mother's magic here."

Emma furrowed her brow. "You can feel that kind of stuff?"

Regina gave a small shrug, as though it was never something she'd given much thought to before. "Yes. It's… something you radiate, I suppose. And you get used to the familiar vibes that people give off."

"Can you feel mine?"

Regina shook her head absently. "Not yet. But eventually, I'm sure. We should go down and get Archie."

Emma nodded, following Regina's eyes to the stairs that lead to the lower deck, and wondered if Regina was aware that she was asking questions about magic to stall. She supposed it didn't matter, because time for stalling was over, and she forced herself to make her way over to the stairs.

"Do you want me to go first?" Regina asked, as Emma approached the steps.

Emam shook her head. "No. Just get my back, okay?"

"Okay."

Though she did feel a little safer knowing Regina was right behind her, Emma still breathed a huge sigh of relief when she reached the bottom of the stairs and found the sleeping quarters empty. She quickly made her way across the room to the trap door and pulled it open, even more relieved to find Archie still alive inside.

Archie's eyes widened when he saw her, and to Emma's surprise, he started shaking his head vehemently as she lowered herself into the cubby he was held in.

"What?" Emma asked, as she untied the gag from Archie's mouth.

Archie's eyes darted from her face, up to Regina's above them, and back to Emma's. "It's not safe," Archie said, quickly. "Captain Hook. He's still here."

Emma shook her head. "No, I checked. The ship's clear."

"It's not. There's another room."

"Hook's not going to be a problem," Regina said, calmly, lighting a fireball in her palm for emphasis, and extinguishing it again just as quickly.

"Regina, no," Archie said, looking up at her with pleading eyes as Emma began untying the ropes that held him in. "You can't use your magic. You've been doing so well."

"Not as well as you think," Regina replied, and Emma didn't miss the hint of sadness in her voice.

"Regina," Archie started, but Emma cut him off quickly.

"She healed my injuries from Hook from earlier," Emma said, before Regina could confess to something else, like blasting her off of her porch with magic earlier in the day. "It's not all dark magic."

"Once this is all over, I'll stop. For good. I promise. But right now, if abstaining from magic leaves Emma, or you, vulnerable, I'm sorry, but I can't do it. I think Henry will understand if I have to use it to save someone he loves. But if Emma's in danger and I do nothing, that Henry would never forgive."

Emma offered Regina a small smile of reassurance as she pulled the rest of the ropes from Archie's wrists, freeing him.

"Thank you," Archie said, shaking his arms out now that he could finally move again. "Now what."

"Now we get the hell out of here," Emma said, reaching for Regina's hand for help back up from the cubby, before reaching down to help Archie out.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that."

Emma cringed at the sound of Hook's voice. She hadn't even heard him creep up behind them and she barely even had a moment to process what was happening before he had an arm around her, pulling her back roughly, her hand ripping away from Regina's. Seconds later, she felt the unmistakable cool metal of a gun pressed against her temple, and she looked desperately to Regina for help.

"It's been a while," Regina said dryly, taking a defiant step toward Hook, and Emma noticed the way Regina's hand twitched at her side, as though she were trying to hold back from roasting Hook on the spot, as she'd said she would. Emma wondered what she was waiting for.

"It has, your Majesty."

"And I see you've forged some new alliances since then," Regina said, smirking a little. "Too bad you don't have anyone here to back you up now."

Emma let go of the breath she was holding in as she watched Regina lift her palm, and form a bright, hot fireball.

"You're sure about that, are you love?" Hook asked, smugly.

"Oh, I'm certain," Regina said, scrunching up her nose in a way that Emma had seen before, that told her Regina was very sure of herself. "So here's what's going to happen. I'm going to send the Cricket home, and you're going to let Emma go, before I roast you on the spot."

Emma swallowed hard, as she waited to see what Hook was going to do. She didn't like feeling helpless, but with a gun to her head, she knew her best bet right now was relying on Regina.

Emma's apprehension, however, was quickly replaced with confusion as she watched Regina's eyes widen suddenly. It only took another moment to register that something was happening behind her. Momentarily, she was engulfed in red smoke, and then where Hook's arm had been around her, now someone smaller and more feminine had a hold of her.

She closed her eyes, her heart sinking as she realized what was happening, even before Cora began to speak.

"I think you might want to rethink your plan, darling."


End file.
